Let aliens board Sulaco without using the shuttle

[Kinrany]

Summary: There should be a way for aliens to attack Sulaco without going through the hangar bottleneck. However, it should only become possible when marines are already weak and can't counterattack.
This post both argues that we need such system and suggests my solution. By all means suggest your own solutions.

Benefits: Aliens can attack Sulaco from all sides when there's no functional FOB -> aliens can avoid hangar bottleneck -> turtling on Sulaco gives little advantage to marines -> marines have to either keep a FOB or raid planet -> marines are encouraged to attack even when they're losing -> rounds are faster, more intense and don't stretch too much.
Also, removes all the shuttle juggling and metagamy fortification problems.

Space cannons.
This section is independent, and less important than the first one.

Summary: Hivelords can build a stationary cannon that throws them at Sulaco. Praetorians can melt through Sulaco outer walls.

Details: Melting through a wall does not make it passable. Instead aliens can climb into the melted wall and then step out of it and inside Sulaco. Think disposals/sleepers.
Cannons can be only made by hivelords standing on jelly and only work in certain area not too far from the shuttle landing zone, otherwise they just don't work. When used, cannon teleports one random mob that stands on it to a certain tile just outside Sulaco. Cannons have a one minute cooldown.

inb4 nerf

[SASoperative]

..... Please explain to me how a bunch of Xenomorphs are going to get from the planet to space than without the need of a dropship...?

[MrJJJ]

Summary:
Summary: Hivelords can build a stationary cannon that throws them at Sulaco. Praetorians can melt through Sulaco outer walls.

This made me laugh hard, XD, i am neutral on this, there has to be a better way...well than this...

[Sargeantmuffinman]

No.........-1.

First off hivelords building cannons out of resin?

What?

Second it breaks lore.

Third,this is out right stupid.

[Kinrany]

..... Please explain to me how a bunch of Xenomorphs are going to get from the planet to space than without the need of a dropship...?

I have no clue, lol. But afaik they are able to space travel, which means they are able to escape gravity wells.
Aliens are technically a high-tech biopunk species, and I think it's believable that they can build rockets, cannons or space lifts (which are still expensive as fuck). After all, this is not a hard sci-fi universe, and they already use acid as blood.

[Kinrany]

This made me laugh hard, XD, i am neutral on this, there has to be a better way...well than this...

Yeah, I ignored lore, since I think that gameplay is more important, and it's not too hard to make a handwavy explanation afterwards.
First of all this topic is about the first part of my post. I'd be totally happy to find a better way.

[SASoperative]

Aliens are not considered a high tech Biopunk species. They are considered Parasitic animals with access to a hivemind with a home planet and species living on multiple planets across the solar system. They normally manage to spread to other planets most of the time from what I have read via hosts that were unaware of the chestburster (Good example is from alien the movie) I honestly do not see this as a good idea because hell even back on the old colonial marines they used dropships, here they use dropships. Hell I am ALL OVER this idea by maybe giving them the ability to use the drop POD but this over all is honestly just outright silly.

[Kinrany]

Aliens are not considered a high tech Biopunk species. They are considered Parasitic animals with access to a hivemind with a home planet and species living on multiple planets across the solar system. They normally manage to spread to other planets most of the time from what I have read via hosts that were unaware of the chestburster (Good example is from alien the movie) I honestly do not see this as a good idea because hell even back on the old colonial marines they used dropships, here they use dropships. Hell I am ALL OVER this idea by maybe giving them the ability to use the drop POD but this over all is honestly just outright silly.

Hmm, they have acid, hivemind, smarter-than-human queens, advanced materials and extremely complex and adjustable biology. That's pretty high-tech in my book. Maybe I'm just reading too much rational fiction :\
Also, Starship Troopers plasma bug:

► Show Spoiler

Anyway, let's think about other ways aliens could possibly use.
If they can't use pure alien tech, it's either human tech or a combination.
They could use another shuttle that belongs to the colony and connects it with orbital space station. And build a space lift with their awesome materials.
They could also fix small colony ships and use them to ram Sulaco.

[SASoperative]

Alright, Lets stop thinking logic from other things for a second and lets think LORE, We are Canon, for the most part almost EVERYTHING we own is from the comics movies and game. If you can give me a list of ANYTHING canon to the aliens series that would make this work other than the flying xenomorphs because those things are stupid and we all know it than you let me know. I might just +1 this than. I have no problem with giving them access to the drop pod also.

[Jack McIntyre]

Ah thank you for the laugh mate, but let me break this down.

1. Since you have the lovely plasma bug there....it fires plasma not actual aliens, also this is not starship troopers, it is colonial marines, and aliens and all that other fun stuff. Granted you are right the people who played as marines in Aliens, had to read starship troopers, not the same thing.

2. If the xenos could build ships and such, the predators would have wiped them out long ago, yes they love to hunt the damn things, but you think they would let them go create chaos without some sort of control, they do hive clearings for a reason. If I am a hunter I may capture a queen or so I can use it in the hunt, but if I know they can build starships or have that sort of thing, I am going to wipe out the rest of the population and put it in a environment that I control for the hunt (which predators do to hunt, well the queen capturing thing not the whole control fully, but you catch my drift)

3. You have to think of what is fun with both sides, now granted it helps the aliens by not being bottle necked in the hanger, but here is something you have to realize, the marines actually have to stage a organized front to be effective. Here is a example, I had set up as a doctor in that little medbay in the hanger, the drop ship comes and literally only two marines were trying to hold the hanger, the rest I believe were upstairs trying to hold briefing. Now fun thing about the sulaco, if the marines hold the briefing, they can be attacked from many different sides due to ladders leading to different areas. I also believe apop, even mentioned once that once the xenos are aboard the sulaco, it is pretty much a xeno victory unless the marines have good command to actually organize defenses and people listen and know how to attack together. I see this pretty rarely though, but that being said, it can be challenging to and sometimes the xenos can just take the hanger with no casualties if the marines fall back like they do sometimes.

4. Not sure it is needed, but a point I like to press yet again, it has to be fun for everyone, if you give the xenos a way to get up to the ship, you are now giving them the option to go straight for the sulaco, and thus bypassing any defenses or marines on the planet. Now they just ride their dropship back up and try to push the xenos back. Just making one big back and forth battle on trying to push off the ship and then xenos will go back to the planet so the marines will and then the xenos may fight the marines a bit and then go back up to the ship and so will the marines. I only seeing a very long round this way and honestly kinda of boring. It is fun having the FOB being pressed by xenos working together and actually making the marines work for the win, the last stand as you try to get everyone on the shuttle before being overrun. It is things like that which create stories and rp for the server.

So no offense, -1 though.

[Kinrany]

If you can give me a list of ANYTHING canon to the aliens series that would make this work other than the flying xenomorphs because those things are stupid and we all know it than you let me know.

Noted

4. Not sure it is needed, but a point I like to press yet again, it has to be fun for everyone, if you give the xenos a way to get up to the ship, you are now giving them the option to go straight for the sulaco, and thus bypassing any defenses or marines on the planet.

I think this is the source of misunderstanding. I don't want aliens to be able to board Sulaco whenever they want. They shouldn't be able to bypass planetary defenses - on the contrary, they have to force marines off the planet to start using this new mechanics. It actually becomes more important for marines to hold their FOB, since defending Sulaco is even harder.

New ideas:
A direct plasma bug analogue - planet-space artillery that creates random explosions on Sulaco. The dynamics will be different from space cannon: aliens will wait at shuttle landing zone and protect bugs while marines die on Sulaco. Doesn't fit lore, I know, just brainstorming.
Aliens jump off the shuttle while it's moving and breach Sulaco outer walls. It's the best so far in regard to lore, I think. However I don't like it, since it still depends on shuttle, not FOB.

[coroneljones]

.........
How can a CANNON be built out of GOO

► Show Spoiler

[Kinrany]

.........
How can a CANNON be built out of GOO

Come on, it's fiction, and aliens are already made of materials that widthstand their acid which melts steel beams metal in seconds.

[Kinrany]

One more: a colony shuttle that lands near main dome and in space near Sulaco + wall melting.
Problems to be solved: ninja attacks on Sulaco, colony shuttle juggling, console destruction.

[Wickedtemp]

-1 on this particular idea.

Now, should there be a few ways for the Xeno's to board? Yes. But that's limited because the only ways on the ship are the shuttle and drop pod, both of which are in the hangar. I've seen the Queen use the drop pod once, unsure if that was intentional or if it was a bug and is now fixed, but the Xeno's should be able to use the pod.

Besides, breaking into the Sulaco could cause breaches, and breaches just fuck the round up the ass. If breaches just weren't even possible, I'd be happy.

[Kinrany]

Besides, breaking into the Sulaco could cause breaches, and breaches just fuck the round up the ass. If breaches just weren't even possible, I'd be happy.

Praetorians can melt through Sulaco outer walls.
Melting through a wall does not make it passable. Instead aliens can climb into the melted wall and then step out of it and inside Sulaco. Think disposals/sleepers.

[Mycroft Macarthur]

unfortunately i have to give this a BIG -1

the idea of cannons made out of biological materials have precedent in other sci fi, 40k has the carnifex and hive lord both of which have cannon like upgrades you can get for anti vehicle purposes (they're also fucking crap, best to just use venom squads instead for your AV purposes or go into melee with your improved claws)

since you want structure examples though i distinctly remembered at least two examples from the starcraft universe which could be considered cannon like.

http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_cannon

http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Virophage

thereinwhich lies the problem though.

STARCRAFT, has bio cannons.

see starcraft and aliens both have VERY distinct visual styles and themes, the xenomorphs of the aliens universe just aren't the type of species made for a stand up fight, the aliens could not and would not create or attack fixed weapon emplacements and defensive positions because they would get outright SLAUGHTERED, xenomorphs have exactly 0 anti vehicle options anywhere in the lore and they would have exactly no chance against some of the more powerful weapon options mankind alone could offer, xenomorphs against marines? fine whatever the xenomorphs can score plenty of kills and kick some ass.

xenomorphs against fighter aircraft, nukes, orbital bombardment, tanks and dedicated combat mechs? no chance, do you REALLY see a xenomorph being able to take out an M1 abrams with his fucking claws because i dont (and thats not even getting into the logical what-ifs, we're already playing with the idea of arming robots with guns and sending them into battlefields alongside human soldiers, you better believe that the aliens universe would have entire LEGIONS of robot soldiers that mankind could throw at an enemy especially since we know that the robocop and terminator universes both exist in the SAME SETTING, its CANON), xenos are more about stealth and even when they DO attack marines in numbers its VERY clear that the engagement is almost always on THEIR terms, even when marines are going on the offensive they never ever have their whole arsenals or truly effective combat options at hand, the idea of xenomorphs crafting gigantic fixed emplacements doesn't fit them at ALL, its okay for the zerg to do it in starcraft because starcraft is an RTS and they were designed with it in MIND.

i can understand your plight and i can see why you would want xenomorphs to have more options but aside from the part where its a horrible idea on its own (xenos board the sulaco via breaching? what a great way for them to insta-win without having to actually fight the marines since space will kill them all FOR you) but it clashes with the lore and themes involved WAY too much, and where the fuck did you get the idea that the xenomorphs are capable of surviving space travel because the only times we've seen them in space they were there for very brief periods and it was made clear in the films that launching the aliens into space is a great way to fucking KILL THEM, we know they are COMPLETELY dependent upon other species for space travel because if they werent they would never have settled for being marooned on LV-426 in the first place, they would have made their own transports and left in search of planets with more hosts but the films themselves are proof that they are INCAPABLE of doing that.

once again, you are thinking of STARCRAFT or perhaps even Warhammer 40k and not aliens, im sorry but this just isn't viable from a lore OR gameplay mechanic standpoint.

[Kinrany]

Okay, okay, I get it, you don't want biocannons in this setting, calm down

(xenos board the sulaco via breaching? what a great way for them to insta-win without having to actually fight the marines since space will kill them all FOR you)

FFS

Melting through a wall does not make it passable. Instead aliens can climb into the melted wall and then step out of it and inside Sulaco. Think disposals/sleepers.

Melting walls this way DOESN'T depressurise the area.

[Wickedtemp]

If breaches can be avoided, I honestly don't care how it's done...

[YummyToast]

The big difference between Aliens and the Zerg from starcraft is that the Zerg assimilate different species and actually have a 'self-evolution' biology that allows them to do crazy shit. Xenomorphs having acid blood does not dictate them having the knowledge to somehow... Build a space canon out of resin goo... Hell how would that even fire it doesn't make sense. They just don't have such a complicated usage of resin that would allow them to build a machine.

That's like expecting a human to be able to make a working canon that launches people out of just metal.

[Kinrany]

Honestly I think aliens are not important to CM, marines are. That's why I thought it was okay to extend the setting.

So, let me repeat my best idea: add a new shuttle that belongs to the colony and travels between the main dome and the space next to Sulaco. Give aliens an ability to board Sulaco without depressurizing it. Make sure marines can easily protect this shuttle as long as they hold their FOB.

[apophis775]

No.

Not even... No.